Although this invention is described in relation to a computer, and specifically a notebook computer, it may be implemented into any device that has locking system controlled by a computer software program.
Today, computer computers may include anything the user may dream of from CD-ROM players to 2 gigabyte hard disk drives, to fully accessoried docking stations. However, in order to reduce the size and weight of the computer, the computer manufacturer must be choose what items the user must have and what items the user can do without in a computer that the size and weight that the user wants.
A method to provide the user the most flexibility and lightest and smallest computer, is to provide a media bay with swapable options. A computer may include a Media Bay that allows the user to customize the computer for different applications or environments. A customizable Media Bay could include options for a number of peripherals. For example, the media bay could include: a CD-ROM drive, a secondary hard disk, a floppy diskette drive, a magneto optical (MO) drive, or an additional battery. With these type of options, the user could dynamically change the computer to accommodate multimedia applications, more storage, lighter weight, removable mass storage, or longer battery life.
When used with a Plug and Play (PnP) operating system, a computer will provide the user with seamless insertion and removal of the media bay options; peripherals can be "hot plugged" into the media bay while the computer is running. However, while this hot plugged feature is advantageous, it is also very dangerous. Even though the computer may allow the user to remove or insert the media bay module at anytime, it may not be wise to do so. Users may damage the hardware or lose data if the swap is not handled carefully.